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Kolkata portaits

I have many opinions about Kolkata. I have not lived there much, but since my parents moved it is home. It's hot and humid, big and always busy. It has a charm unlike any other big city. The monumental scale of a former Colonial capital is hard to beat.

Kolkata is also about it's people. The very many kinds of them. The rickshaw walas who live in a shanty opposite my home. The LPG cylinder guy who makes a visit monthly. The puchka wala who makes mouthwatering puchkas outside New Market. They are the ones I didn't draw. I wish I could.



Today's post is all about the people who call Kolkata their home. The aam junta , everyday folks. This is Rekha di. She is my aunt's household help. She lives in a small apartment on the terrace, and walks down the stairs to help with homely tasks around the house. She's a kind and gentle lady and I tried to capture her calm demeanor in this sketch.



I sketched Seema di while she cooked some lunch for us. She is always well dressed in bright colours. She cooks in eight homes everyday to earn her living. She makes a mean chow mein !





Bright and not so early, I went off to our local farmer's market. That too on 25th December. Christmas is a very important festival in Kolkata. Everyone celebrates it regardless of their religion. Christmas stars adorn all homes and everyone buys at least one fruit cake.

Instead of sketching the Christmas commotion, I found myself in the fish market. This fish seller posed for me and while I was sketching, she refused to sell fish to a couple of people because they were disturbing the scene. So sweet !




This man could be called the family flower seller. Be it a happy or a sad occasion, flowers come to my house from this man's shop. I call him 'this man' as I forgot my manners and didn't ask his name. Showed him the sketch, of course. He seemed pleased. This is the brightest corner in the market and without doubt my favourite.


Cats are another permanent feature in Entally Bazaar. They hang around the fish market in hopes of fishy scraps to fall. They get enough to eat as they all seemed rotund and content. 

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